1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of tools for expanding crushed motor vehicle bodies to extricate collision victims. The invention is a base intended to be employed in conjunction with one or more hydraulic rams. The base clamps to an advantageous point on a vehicle from which a collision victim is to be extricated, and rams are seated on the base. With firm anchorage afforded by the base, the rams may then be employed to expand the crushed vehicle body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is occasionally necessary to extricate a victim from the crushed body of a motor vehicle that has been involved in a collision which has entrapped the victim. Motor vehicle bodies are usually fabricated from steel, and cannot be spread open readily to gain access to victims. Hydraulic expanding equipment has been provided to assist rescue personnel in freeing trapped victims. Such equipment may include spreading arms, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,353, issued to Alan J. Painter et al. on Apr. 22, 1997, or hydraulic rams which can develop sufficient force to spread the crushed vehicle sufficiently to extricate victims.
It is not always convenient or easy to wield spreaders. A chronic shortcoming of spreaders and rams is that there is frequently no solid mounting point to anchor the idle end of the ram. U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,711, issued to Leo J. Spiegel on Mar. 1, 1994, sets forth a spreader designed to cope with the many problems which may arise in bringing a rescue device to bear to good effect. Among the problems frequently encountered by rescuers is that there is no solid mounting for a ram or other spreader. The body may be twisted to a highly irregular shape, or the body at a point opposite that which is to be forced open may lack a solid foundation capable of anchoring the idle end of the ram. Available structure of the body may be too weak to support or anchor a ram effectively.
It is frequently necessary to build an impromptu support base for a ram or spreader. However, there are problems with this approach. For example, a base may spontaneously fail, with consequent injury to the victim, rescuer, or both.
Spiegel sets forth an elongate tube or channel along which slides a carriage which may be locked in place at a selected point along the tube or channel. The carriage is adapted to receive and support a hydraulic ram. Connection of the ram is by passing a pin through a clevis formed in the carriage. The pin passes through a hole formed in the base of the ram.
By contrast, the present invention provides a compact yet powerful clamp which closes over and securely holds a limited portion of the vehicle body. No open space corresponding to the length of the elongate tube of Spiegel is required. A ram which is to be supported on the novel clamp need not have a member adapted to receive a pin, in the manner of Spiegel.
Expanding devices which have an integral clamp and which work in conjunction with one or more hydraulic rams are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,151,063, issued to Ira A. Weaver on Mar. 21, 1939, U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,275, issued to Wayne E. Hunnicutt on Jun. 6, 1972, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,423, issued to Saburo Masui on Oct. 29, 1985. These devices engage the subject vehicle at several points, and must cooperate with the vehicle body in a way which is frequently not possible in emergency situations following a collision. In fact, the three above listed patents would likely not be able to engage a vehicle body which was severely distorted in a collision, as can the present invention. The present invention is adapted to seize and anchor to a single, limited point on the body of the subject vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,397, issued to Uno Johansson on Mar. 25, 1997, illustrates a clamp having faces textured to engage a vehicle body. However, there is no provision for seating a hydraulic ram, and the configuration of the clamp differs significantly from that of the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention sets forth a powerful clamp which can grasp a member of a vehicle body with sufficient force to resist being displaced when one or more hydraulic rams is seated thereon and expanded to engage and spread the crushed or collapsed body of the vehicle. The novel device includes a clamp having a base, a first jaw fixed to the base, and a second jaw slidably mounted on the base such that it can be moved towards the stationary jaw. The base or the upper jaw is provided with seat structure for receiving and supporting one end of a hydraulic ram.
The movable upper jaw is propelled downwardly towards the upwardly facing stationary jaw by a conventional hydraulic ram which is threaded into the upper jaw. Any convenient source of hydraulic pressure may then be employed to close the jaws over a member of the vehicle. There is no necessity to build an impromptu base. The upper jaw has guide plates which ride in grooves formed in the base, so that the upper jaw is constrained to move only towards and away from the stationary jaw.
The upper jaw has at least two receptacles formed by intersecting horizontal and vertical plates. Each receptacle opens upwardly and laterally, and can seat and anchor the end of at least one hydraulic ram. The receptacles open in several directions, so that rams may be variably positioned when seated therein. Conventional rams may then be place on the seat after the clamp is locked in place at a selected point on the vehicle body, and expanded to spread open a collapsed vehicle body.
The clamp is fairly compact, light in weight, and yet very sturdy and well suited for the task. The clamp is therefore highly portable, and need not be employed with rams specially designed or adapted to cooperate therewith.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a base for powered spreading equipment for expanding crushed or collapsed vehicle bodies.
It is another object of the invention that the base be capable of engaging and securely anchoring at a deformed portion of the vehicle body.
It is a further object of the invention to be able to clamp the novel base to a vehicle body with a conventional hydraulic ram.
Still another object of the invention is to provide at least one seat for receiving the idle end of a conventional hydraulic ram.
A further object of the invention is that a conventional hydraulic ram be variably positioned on the base.
An additional object of the invention is that the novel base be compact and sturdy.
Yet another object of the invention is to avoid the necessity of building an impromptu base for a spreader or ram.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.